LOS ANGELES — Wild Capture (https://www.wildcapture.io), a volumetric technology platform and creative services studio for the creation of digital humans, has announced a number of new initiatives and immersive activations. The company is introducing the Digital Human Platform to develop XR technologies and offer turnkey production services for the creation of digital humans, volumetric crowds and CG fashion for media production, software and web-based deliveries.
Photo (top): Latto shoot
The Wild Capture platform relies on an array of volumetric tools that give creators the ability to execute high concept creative projects with volumetric performances. Its proprietary volumetric capture and post production processes are compatible with leading acquisition technologies, including industry partner, 4DViews, and others.
Photo: Kaelyn Kastle on-set
As the result of a strategic partnership with the XR Foundation, the Digital Human Platform features the Universal Volumetric (UVol) web streaming player, a cross-platform, open-source framework for web-based volumetric video. Co-developed by Wild Capture, the company is now offering commercial servicing of UVol used for the playback of digital humans in virtual space, which is describes as watching a hologram on your phone. It will soon have the ability to port to Unity, Unreal Engine and other media platforms.
According to Wilfred 'Will' Driscoll, Wild Capture co-founder and CEO, the company has excelled in its ability to create high-quality volumetric captures that break the uncanny valley, essentially generating a digital twin of each performance.
"It's an exciting time for volumetric video, digital humans and their place in the modern era of digital communication and spatial media," says Driscoll. "Wild Capture's collaboration with strategic partners and investment in our development pipeline for volumetric fashion, crowd systems and UVol, ideally positions us to standardize and prepare for next-generation web-based spatial media needs as we continue to execute high-end activations."
The CMII volume stage
In 2021, Wild Capture entered into a joint partnership with Atlanta-based Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII) at Georgia State University to bring high-quality volumetric activations and digital humans to market. Aimed at providing advanced technologies, such as XR filmmaking and motion capture, CMII operates as an educational facility for advanced technology workforce training and collaborates with media and creative industry enterprises moving into new technologies.
The partnership takes advantage of Wild Capture's spatial media expertise and on-site production services to bolster CMII's volumetric capture stage and production setting to accommodate the Atlanta film and television industry. It also showcases Wild Capture's Digital Fashion Toolkit that customizes fashion assets, such as wardrobe changes and clothing color, and the capabilities of its Cohort Crowd Kit, a library of volumetric crowd performances used to create lifelike crowds in volumetric video.
Louis Normandin, co-founder, and head of operations at Wild Capture, adds the company's AI products provide creators with high-quality performance capture tools and solutions to empower their creative and financial objectives.
Photo: Latto
"We have reached an era where digital humans are here and the realism of our captures is the key to sparking imagination for the collective audience," says Normandin. "Wild Capture is honored to be collaborating with the talented virtual production team at CMII and delighted our Digital Human Platform continues to be embraced by such a wide range of creators.”
A number of recent projects have been produced using Wild Capture technology. Dallas Austin, Kaelyn Kastle and Jazzy Tha Rapper made use of the technology for a music video and virtual concert series. Wild Capture provided performance capture and implemented its Cohort volumetric crowd and CG fashion capabilities that included numerous virtual wardrobe changes, backup dancers and various environments to position and playback a live virtual concert performance by the artists. Assets will also be repurposed for Austin's new metaverse experience and NFT creations.
Anemoia is a short sci-fi film that’s set against a dystopian future metropolis, complete with holograms, robotic AI and metaverse-like experiences. Wild Capture provided cinematography and volumetric video services to realize 3D models and achieve transitional and other visual effects.
And, Wild Capture partnered with CMII and the You Are Here (YAH) agency to facilitate a music video series starring Atlanta rap artist, Latto. Shot in volumetric video, Sprite/Coca-Cola-branded imagery will appear throughout State Farm Arena in Atlanta, home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks basketball team.